The Secret Santa
by midlands-lass
Summary: Just a bit of seasonal Robson fluff, takes place the Christmas before they get together. Merry Christmas and happy holidays all . . .
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Seasons Greetings Robson fans, may all your stockings be stuffed with fluff. Thanks to everyone who keeps reading my offerings, especially those of you who take time to leave a review or send me a message. You really do feed my muse and keep me writing. So THANK YOU! I will be continuing with my other story (the way young lovers do) in due course. I had to take a break for a while as work was busy and I wanted to write this little bit of Christmas Robson tinsel. Merry Christmas all :)**

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It was a Friday night in mid-December. It was freezing cold. The roads of Oxford were icy and the pavements were slippery with frost. Laura Hobson's shoes crunched on the grit and salt as she walked her way carefully along the street to the restaurant for the annual festive departmental meal.

The shops on the high street were decked out for Christmas and there were festive lights and Christmas trees at every turn. For the most part Laura loved Christmas, even though it was a busy time of year for her. There always seemed to be an increase in deaths both suspicious and regular during the festive period. She was used to working over the holidays but this year she wasn't rostered on over Christmas. Despite having to work the next day, Laura was looking forward to the Christmas meal. Mainly, she admitted to herself, because it was an opportunity to spend time with Robbie Lewis. Recently she had found herself thinking more and more about him. Their friendship, special in itself, was as strong as it had ever been and the more time she got to spend with him, she felt her longstanding attraction to him grow and grow. They'd had several tough cases recently and had spent time discussing forensic results, often over a drink. This was nothing new but she'd noticed that their conversations of late had soon changed to the more personal, rather than lingering on the professional. They often went out for lunch and coffee and could talk for hours. She loved it. But she wanted more. She had done for a long time. She sighed, her breath clouding the air in front of her as she walked, hands tucked into her coat. She knew Robbie still wasn't ready for anything remotely close to a relationship. But she also knew he held a candle for her. She had seen his disgruntled face, barely hidden, when sometimes she'd told him she was off on a date but at the same time he seemed unable to let himself go, to finally ask her out for a drink or a meal that might result in taking them beyond their friendship. She had tried in the past to create opportunities that might have steered them to something more than friendship, but she would never make a move on him. It was up to him. Horses and water she thought to herself. How long would she have to wait for him? Still she kept vigil for the moment that she knew full well might not come.

Looking up the street, before crossing it, Laura sighed again. She was a little tired, maybe even a little depressed. She had been working hard along with attending all the usual festive gatherings and get-togethers that it seemed obligatory to be in attendance to in the hectic run up to Christmas. She'd not seen sunshine or daylight, it seemed, for a week due to her shift pattern. It wasn't long now, however, until she could take a proper break. She had the evening off and then 4 days of shift work before she went on Christmas leave. She should be looking forward to it but deep down, in spite of her plans, perhaps _because_ of her plans, she felt discontented.

Frowning at the thought of her busy schedule and coming plans she checked the time on her watch and quickened her pace along the pavement.

She met James Hathaway as she turned into the street where the restaurant was located

"Good evening Doctor, you look ready for a night out" he said as he opened the door for them both.

"Thank you, James, and so do you, I'll take it as a compliment"

Hathaway smiled and, unwrapping his scarf, followed her into the welcome warmth of the restaurant.

The table allocated for the departmental festive meal was long and as Laura went in she saw Robbie seated at one end chatting with a couple of his team. She was hoping it would be _a sit-where-you-like_ do and that Jean Innocent's secretary hadn't over engineered the evening with place names on the table in a silly forced effort to get the different departments to mingle. With a relief she saw it was a free for all and followed Hathaway as he went towards the end of the table towards Robbie. She was confident that some of her team would join her at the end of the table when they arrived and sure enough they did. Laura didn't care too much where they sat however, she just wanted to be near to Robbie so she could spend the evening with him. More and more she realised how much she loved being in his company, especially when it wasn't work related.

"Hi Robbie" she said with a bright smile

"Hullo Doctor, are you joining us at the naughty end then?" And he gestured up to the top of the table.

Laura laughed, already some of Robbie's team were looking well-oiled on drink. He had a glass of wine and looked relaxed, smiling fondly at her as she sat down opposite.

She smiled back. She loved to see him in a good mood. For a while now she'd noticed a bit of a change in him, it was only subtle. He seemed a bit happier, smiling more often than she'd ever seen since before the death of his wife. She assumed it was because he had been to see his daughter and grandson; he'd managed a few trips up to Manchester and they'd also been to visit. She did know that he wasn't able to spend much of Christmas with them however as he was rostered on duty between Christmas and new year. Part of her wished she was too, despite the current status quo of her social and personal life.

Laura had been seeing someone on and off and recently it had developed into something more but not particularly on her part. His name was Malcolm and he was a don at one of the colleges. She had met him at an alumnus function and they'd got on well, at least well enough to meet up a few times and then tentatively start what could be considered a relationship. She knew in her heart it wouldn't last but she was willing to give it a try. So much so that she had agreed to go away with him over the Christmas break.

Malcolm was pleasant enough but he had the aloof arrogance that was often prevalent in his type. She was well used to it; most of the men she had ever dated had some sort of a superiority trait or complex. She realised quite rapidly that he wasn't ultimately going to float her boat. In the past he may have, but her parameters had changed as she got older. More and more Laura's "type" was becoming less frequent in an ever-growing pool of unsuitable suitors. Still, she valiantly tried her best to make it work. When Laura had told Malcolm how she loved long beach walks in bad weather, he'd told her about his large seafront flat in Brighton. It had been difficult to turn down his invitation to spend some of Christmas with him after that. She wasn't particular to go, but as she thought to herself, why not? What else would she do if she wasn't working? Plans to visit family had fallen through at the last minute as quite often they did as her close family were scattered to the four winds.

She'd had a decent offer of going to the Norfolk coast with Ellen Jacoby and some other old college friends. She hadn't ruled it out. She sighed. If things didn't work out with Malcolm, and part of her knew full well it wouldn't, then she'd give the online dating yet another go. She didn't quite know why she was so desperate to be with someone. It wasn't even about the sex anymore like it had been in the past. She was lonely, it was a simple as that. There were only so many clubs or societies or social nights out or interesting lectures and seminars to go to. She wanted, _needed _something simpler than that. Someone to spend time with during the dull hours after work, to snuggle up with on the sofa and watch crap telly with, someone to go to bed with at night and to wake up with each morning, to enjoy dinner and breakfast with, for more than just a few errant days between busy schedules. Someone to make love to in the proper sense of making love, with someone you actually _loved_.

"You alright, Doctor?"

She looked up from her ruminations. Robbie was smiling at her from across the table, his eyebrows raised with his question.

"We lost you for a minute there" he said and his gaze lingered slightly, as did his smile.

"Cheers" he said, suddenly a little self-conscious and he offered his glass to hers.

Pulled from her thoughts she smiled back at him and he saw her eyes sparkle in that familiar way that he adored. He checked himself. This was Doctor Hobson. A good friend. Always there for him. Attractive, brilliant and full of kindness for him. He'd come to realise recently that she meant so much to him than _just friends_. It was difficult to admit to, but he was starting to allow himself to think that he couldn't hide from it anymore. Despite this acceptance, slow as it was, things were still hard. Grief still shaded his life. Granted, these days it wasn't as bad, perhaps, but it was there. Over the years it seemed to have diluted a little, but like a drop of ink in a jar of pure clear water, the dark hue of grief over his wife's death still tinted his life.

Robbie started to ask Laura about her plans for the Christmas period but one of her assistants had joined her at the table and had started chatting to her. Robbie took the opportunity to look at Laura. He thought not for the first time that night how pretty she looked. She was wearing a black dress that had a dark red rose pattern on it. He noticed how it hugged her body, her curves. It also had a low-cut neck and he found himself looking at the pale skin of her neck and the sweet points of her collar bone.

He stopped himself looking any further. Guilt sounded in his head right on cue as it always did, a deafening gong, proclaiming his betrayal to Val. He felt guilty about thinking of Laura in any other way than as a friend but he knew at the back of his mind that she meant more to him than that. He felt it, deep inside when he sometimes thought about her or looked at her. The searing guilt and feeling of betraying Val was another clear signal to him that Laura meant so much more. It was a cruel paradox that always threw his emotions off balance. Tonight, however, he was distracted enough to muffle away the guilt. This was a works do. Nothing more nothing less. He was just glad to spend some time with Laura away from the routines of work.

The evening, as it wore on, was a pleasant affair, the different departments mingling and generally letting their hair down. Robbie and Laura stuck to a couple of glasses of wine along with others who were working the next day. Those who were off duty were able to enjoy a more libatious night and there was a lot of raucous laughter up and down the table. This pleased Jean Innocent greatly as she went round everyone in turn, chatting and thanking them for a year of hard work.

Laura found herself glancing at Robbie often during the evening. This had not gone unnoticed by Hathaway. The young sergeant liked and respected the doctor and had long since suspected that she had romantic feelings for his boss. She was fiercely protective of him and her compassion and solicitation for his wellbeing had always been apparent. He knew that Hobson dated other men but that she would do anything for Lewis. He also suspected that given her pragmatic and decisive attitude to life that she wasn't going to hang around waiting for Lewis to wake up to the situation.

Hathaway looked at the pair now they were chatting easily and Hobson was berating Lewis over something while Lewis was protesting and laughing. _Like an old married couple_ though Hathaway sardonically. It wasn't that often that his boss laughed or even smiled but Hathaway knew it was almost guaranteed when he was in the company of Hobson. He knew Lewis was in love with Dr Hobson. Not that Hathaway would ever dare to suggest the fact in any certain terms. It was a subject off limits. But even so, he often found himself frustrated by his boss. Laura Hobson was brilliant, attractive and sexy for a woman of her years and obviously cared deeply for Lewis. Yet his boss seemed immune to her reality in his life. Maybe in the new year it was time to start gently forcing the issue for the sake of Lewis.

After desserts Jean Innocent, now wearing a red velvet Father Christmas hat, trimmed with white fur, distributed the Secret Santa gifts from a rustic hessian sack covered in felt snowflakes. She went back and forth around the table pulling out the presents, reading the preprinted tags that her secretary had made when organising the secret Santa draw. The dinner was now drawing to a close and those who were not on duty the next day were moving onto the hard stuff. Robbie was on duty the following day but bought some of his constables a round of shots as a thank you. Laura made a comment about rare moths and Robbie's wallet which caused much merriment to his department and to Jean Innocent as she dug into the sack of presents.

"Ah, James, this is yours" she said with a big smile, handing a parcel to Hathaway.

Laura and Robbie watched on as Hathaway opened his Secret Santa gift, a small bottle of good single malt and a pair of XL superman underpants.

"I think I know who got you those, Sergeant" Robbie chuckled as he nodded in the direction of the other end of the table where some of the younger up and coming constables were seated. One in particular, Robbie had noticed over the last few months, had taken a shine to his sergeant.

Hathaway, with a deadpan poker face looked down the table at two of the WPCs who were giggling uncontrollably and then back at Robbie and then Laura, his face not giving anything away. Robbie and Laura were now laughing, Laura almost choking on her wine.

"Doctor Hobson we need you to settle an argument"

One of Laura's team, a little worse for wear had made her way up the table and started chatting to Laura through drunken hiccups.

Laura frowned "Oh for heaven's sake. Not this mitochondria business again? I've told Simon, it's not a clear-cut issue"

She got up from the table, shaking her head with mock consternation and went over to the opposite end of the table.

Robbie watched her as she made her way up to the gaggle of pathologists who were already drunkenly firing questions at her. His glance went beyond the feelings of friendship. The simple feeling of the attraction he felt towards her that he was slowly allowing himself to admit to was ever apparent. He couldn't hide from it anymore but at the same time he couldn't quite start to embrace it.

"Very becoming James" said Jean Innocent to Hathaway as she eyed his recently unwrapped underpants. Robbie laughed as he saw his sergeant's face set in deadpan neutrality once again, his attention diverted from watching Laura who was, in a rare moment, laughing with her students who were now in fits of loud drunken laughter.

Pulling her hand out of the Christmas gift sack Jean Innocent handed over a gift.

"Robbie, this is yours. Looks very posh and carefully wrapped" She said with a warm smile.

"Thank you Ma'am" said Robbie as he took the gift.

"Come on, open it sir" Hathaway was smirking at his boss, glad of a distraction away from his superhero underpants

Robbie looked on with a curious frown at the gift Jean Innocent had handed to him. It was a shallow shape in between the size of a paperback book and a bar of chocolate. It was covered with elegant geometric patterned paper and tied with a complimentary dark grey ribbon. There was something distinctly opulent about the package and he was intrigued. He pulled the ribbon from the gift and unwrapped the paper to reveal a box. Robbie lifted the lid.

Inside were three meticulously folded white cotton tailored handkerchiefs. Crisp and smooth, each hankie had on it, beautifully embroidered in peacock blue silk, the initials _RL_. Robbie looked down at them. Hathaway noted that there was an odd look on the Inspector's face, but he was himself distracted by the luxury gift Lewis held in his hands.

"Sir, they're absolutely lovely. Top quality and monogrammed. I'd bet they're from the tailor in Little Clarendon street." Robbie could see that Hathaway was genuinely impressed.

"Someone's spent out on you, sir. I wonder if the recipient of _your_ gift will be as pleased as you must be with this gift. Let's hope they like _Milk Tray."_ Hathaway smirked at his boss, delighted he could score a point and deflect away from the attention his gift had encouraged.

"I'm going to choose to ignore that, Sergeant and just for the record it wasn't _Milk Tray_, it was a box of Thornton's I'll have you know. And I can guarantee that those chocolates will bring someone a lot of joy. Anyway, shouldn't you be putting your new keks on?"

Robbie was still looking at the handkerchiefs and his sergeant noticed again a shadow briefly flit across his face, as if something was deeply troubling his boss. Hathaway, tuned as he was to the nuances of his superior, frowned to himself. But then the moment passed as down the table there was a roar of laughter from the young constables who were now drinking shots of Jägermeister. Seconds later an equally raucous din issued from the drunken pathologists who were responding to something Laura had just said to them.

When she came back to the table Laura opened her secret Santa, a hardback edition of a new Donna Leon crime novel.

" Oh. Perfect!" she said with a surprise.

"Fan of a Venetian murder mystery are you Doctor?" Hathaway asked her, seeing genuine enthusiasm on her face.

"Actually, yes. A good friend of mine has a palazzo in Venice which she lets out. It makes for a spectacular weekend away."

"I don't doubt it" said Hathaway and he was about to ask her more about it when suddenly there was a sound not dissimilar to a chiming bell and conversations and laughter fizzled to a murmur as Jean innocent tapped a fork on her wine glass.

"Here we go" said Robbie, smiling at Laura as she sat back down at the table.

Jean Innocent, sober but full of enthusiasm for the festivities thanked everyone again for their hard work and co-operation. The evening, as far as the meal was concerned was coming to a close and people were getting wrapped up to face the cold night air. Robbie and Laura made their way outside amidst the boozy chatter and prolonged drunken goodbyes from those who were going home and not onto another bar. They watched as Hathaway talked for a while to the WPC who had bought him the pants, before they both joined the drunken trail of revelers as they headed to their next drinking hole.

"I think he's pulled" said Laura

"No Chance" said Robbie. "A tenner says he'll go home alone"

"You're probably right" She laughed back.

They watched as the crowd of drunken PCs and pathologists and clerical staff tumbled down the road. Jean Innocent, wrapped up in a camel coat smiled fondly at Robbie as she exited the restaurant.

"I'm going to go home and have a lovely cup of tea and one of these chocolates." She said to Robbie, clutching at a big box of _Thornton's _as she got into a taxi that was waiting for her.

"Enjoy, Ma'am, see you tomorrow" Robbie smiled as the door of the taxi slammed closed. He turned and looked at Laura. "Walk you to the taxis?"

She smiled and nodded, taking his arm when he offered it to her. It was a secret pleasure of hers, hooking her arm though his and just walking and chatting. It was so easy and comfortable. He felt it too. It wasn't a long way to the taxi rank and they both seemed to slow to a gentle pace along the cold street, as if prolonging the walk for as long as possible.

It was bitterly cold and the freezing temperature of the night air seemed to scorch Laura's skin. She wasn't sure, but she thought she felt Robbie pull her in a bit closer to him, as if trying to keep her warm as they walked.

Above them the night was icy-clear and a cold pearly moon shone like a coin in the dark blue velvet of the sky. The city trees were sparkling with a frost that had been there all day and had crystallised further after the sun had gone down. The street seemed to shiver in the beauty of the winter night.

"So" Laura cleared her throat self-consciously and looked down at the frosty pavement, mottled grey in the gloom and peppered with flat discs of chewing gum that had been trodden down. "Was your secret Santa gift something nice?"

Robbie raised his eyebrows at her question. "Erm, yeah, I suppose so." He said, looking down at her as they continued to walk. "I mean, yes it's lovely, just a bit, I dunno, a bit uncanny really."

Laura stopped walking, Robbie stopping with her as she did so. She turned to look at him in the streetlight, he saw she frowned a little "how so?" She asked

Robbie sighed. "It's an absolutely lovely gift, it's just well. . ." His voice trailed off and he looked up the frosty street for a moment before turning back to look at Laura "Listen, I know it's getting on, but do you fancy one last drink?"


	2. Chapter 2

They slipped into the nearest pub and were lucky to find a little table for two that had just been vacated next to the fire. The pub was busy but the table, although cluttered with spent glasses, was in a quiet corner. Laura sat down and shunted the glasses to the edge of the table. She looked over at Robbie who was at the bar. He was waiting patiently behind a throng of revelers, hands tucked into his pockets in his usual stance. Laura felt the familiar pang of attraction towards him that she often felt at mundane little moments like these.

She kept watching as he returned from the bar with a drink for them both. A gin and tonic for her and a whiskey for himself. He set them down on the table and then sat down opposite her.

"Are you ok Robbie?" Laura went straight to the point. Although he'd been in good spirits all night, she knew this time of year was difficult for him; it was only days away from the anniversary of Val's death and although she didn't bring it up, he knew full well that she was very aware of the fact and just knowing that she knew was a comfort to him, that he could always talk to her if ever he needed to.

"Im fine" he smiled at her, acknowledging her concern with an obvious gratitude. She could see he was telling the truth but still he looked troubled.

"It's just. . . this santa gift thing. Did you see them?" He took the box of hankies out of his pocket and took the lid off. "They're beautiful, just that..."

"Robbie, the Secret Santa was from me"

"What?"

"The handkerchiefs, they were from me. I'm your Secret Santa"

Robbie stared at her, eyes wide and searching, lost for words at her sudden confession. He'd not had any idea who the hankies were from but he'd not for a minute though they were from Laura. Although, as the seconds passed, suddenly he couldn't think of who else they could have been from.

Laura looked at him, her eyes full of worry and concern at the situation. She took a deep breath and spoke, her eyes fixed on his, monitoring his face before she spoke.

"When Ligea was killed, I don't know if you remember, but after I fainted, you came to talk to me in the ambulance?"

Robbie nodded at the distant memory of the incident that had been traumatic in so many ways for Laura, for them both. She continued.

"I was upset and you gave me a handkerchief, it was monogrammed and I'm sure it was expensive; I'm sorry Robbie, I never gave it back to you and it somehow got lost. I've wanted to replace it for a long time, and when I got your name in the Secret Santa draw I thought it was high time and a good opportunity to repay the debt."

She looked at him, her eyes bright with concern. She still wasn't sure what the problem was with her gift, if it was a problem, but he had said himself there was something _uncanny_ about it. She ventured a smile and held her gaze, waiting for him to speak.

He sighed. "Laura, it's a lovely, thoughtful gift. It's just. . ." He looked at her, his eyes wide and searching hers. something was holding him back, stalling him from what he wanted to say

He looked down at the handkerchiefs. His thumb tracing over the blue silk of his initials.

"Robbie, what is it? ? Have I done something wrong?"

"No" he reassured her, his voice firm.

"But?"

His stomach lilted slightly_. Laura_. Always perceptive and always there to illicit his feelings. He took a deep breath before slowly breathing out. She regarded him with unease. Laura was worried, something about the gift had set things off kilter with him and she searched her mind at speed to try and fathom what it could be, but nothing came forward.

She looked at him. He was still looking at the handkerchiefs. She kept quiet, desperately waiting for the answer, unsure if she wanted to hear the reason behind what had obviously caused him upset.

Robbie looked down at the stained and worn wood grain of the pub floor. How many feet had trodden over those boards over the decades? He and his wife had been here many times, and countless times he'd been here with Morse and Laura with work related drinks. And now here he was again with her, after all these years.

Finally, he looked up. He saw the desperate concern in her eyes and he was aware of a feeling of tenderness for her, for the feelings she obviously had for him. It both soothed and unsettled him. He swallowed, as if trying to push away something that threatened to rise to stop him speaking. He took a deep breath then spoke.

"The thing is. . . Each year, well, each Christmas, Val . . ."

He looked Laura straight in the eyes.

_Oh God_ she thought, _what have I done?_

He paused briefly and looked down again at the floor for a moment before lifting his head to look at her once more.

"Val would buy me a set of hankies"

Laura felt her stomach tip slightly. Despite what he'd just said and its significance in regards to her gift she knew better than to interrupt, even at a time like this. She was sure that each time Robbie could talk about Val to someone, to her, that it would inevitably help him. She waited for him to continue. Now he looked at the box of handkerchiefs again, his thumb still touching the embroidered blue silk of his initials.

"Every morning she'd give me a clean ironed hankie for my pocket. She always said it was the one thing she could do for me as I'd bound to need it for one reason or another during the day"

He smiled but it was underpinned by the familiar sadness that seemed to cloak him when he remembered his wife.

"I used to lose them or leave them places, or they'd get kept by the people I gave them to, but it didn't matter - each Christmas she'd buy me a new set. It became a bit of a joke with the kids, they teased her about it being the most boring Christmas present in the world"

Laura smiled and laughed softly with him at the image of intimate family life he'd shared with her. She also saw how the memory had warmed Robbie's face, although the sadness was all too palpable, shadowing his eyes. He looked away from her smile as the weight of the recollection started to take its inevitable toll. Despite this, she noticed that his voice didn't waver as he continued.

"After she died, they eventually gave me all her stuff that she'd had with her when she was killed"

Laura inwardly flinched at his choice of words and the pain they must have stirred up in him. He rarely used euphemisms with her, and she was proud of him for that. However painful it was to speak the truth, it was reality and she knew in the long run it would help him heal.

"She'd been shopping for Christmas. I thought she'd done it all, well most of it, but when they gave me her bags and stuff it was obvious she'd been on a last minute spree."

He paused again, taking a breath to regain his composure. He looked at her and Laura returned his look with a frown she tried to hide with a smile but she couldn't hide her sadness for him. Maybe she didn't want to. Her heart felt full and sore for him as he continued.

"I couldn't look through the bags for a long time, it was too painful" He sighed

". . . Anyway, eventually I knew I had to look through, and we - me and the kids - did it one day, together."

He paused again, aware that Laura was letting him speak, like she always did, without questions or judgement. It always helped.

"It was actually a good thing, when we finally did it. It was sad but uplifting in an odd way. There were presents she'd bought for the kids which was lovely for them, they seemed to get comfort from it. Anyway, in all this, there was a set of handkerchiefs . . ."

He stalled and Laura felt a deep well of sadness open up between them, separating them suddenly. Her throat tightened with emotion. This was not what she thought would ever happen from the simple giving of a gift. Still she kept quiet, out of respect for him, for Val and for the trust he'd placed in her just by the telling of the memory. He looked at her, thankful again for her gentle receptive silence.

"At first I couldn't bear to think of using them, but as time went on I felt it would be doing her a disservice. So I used them, along with all the others she'd bought me over the years. The one I had when Ligeia was murdered was the last of the ones she'd bought just before she died."

"Oh god, Robbie, I'm so sorry, I would never have bought them if I'd known, it's the worst possible thing to have given you. . . " Laura wrung her hands together on the table, anxious at the situation, not quite knowing what to do.

"No" he said gently but firmly, and instinctively, without thinking, he reached out and placed his hands reassuringly over hers.

"I can't think of a better gift for you to have given me"

He looked at her intently, not quite knowing where the conviction for his words had suddenly come from, only that he knew they told the truth. The gulf of emotion and sadness that Laura had felt between them suddenly seemed vanquished by his words and the touch of his hands over hers. For a long moment they just looked at each other until the spell was broken by a glass collector who, busy about her business, swept noisily by the table and retrieved the empty glasses that had been left on the table by the previous occupants. Robbie pulled his hand away from Laura's, suddenly self-conscious, and Laura followed suit, and took a long sip of her drink. Robbie also took refuge in the drinking of his whiskey and suddenly normality seemed restored.

The night was getting on and as they finished their drinks they chatted easily and Laura was keen for Robbie to know that she was happy for him to continue talking about Val and for a while he did so, recollecting happier Christmases and New Year's eve parties spent with the kids and Val with his family in Newcastle. She filled him in on some of her Christmases past and told the tale which had become Hobson family legend about the time when she was six years old and had refused to wear a red velvet dress for a Christmas party and that after her parents had finally got her into it, not more than 10 minutes later she had cut it off herself with a pair of scissors.

"I can imagine you being a right little handful" Robbie said through his laughter "A proper little canny lass, not much has changed since then eh?"

"Hey!" she said laughing and thumped him gently on his arm but secretly she reveled in his colloquial term. There had also been something very warm and affectionate in his voice, almost intimate. Or maybe she had misread it, she'd now had gin on top of the wine she'd enjoyed throughout the evening. Robbie, still chuckling rattled the last of the remnants of ice around the last drop of watery whiskey in his glass and they both knew it was time to head off.

As they gathered up their coats and scarves Laura had a feeling that maybe something had changed between them. Something subtle but with an underlying strength. She didn't want to think about it too much, the feeling on its own was good enough for now. Robbie put his coat on and then helped her with hers, she privately basked in the simplicity of his gesture. He smiled at her and held her gaze a little longer than was necessary as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. She watched as he picked the box of hankies up from the table along with the ribbon and the wrapping paper and carefully tucked them into his inside coat pocket. He saw that she had seen him put the handkerchiefs in his pocket and he smiled at her, holding open the pub door for her. She looked back at him, a sparkle in her eyes and a somewhat self-conscious smile on her lips and they both went out again, into the cold night and the icy streets of the town.

* * *

**AN: Thanks all for your feedback about this little bit of fluff. I have more to post and in addition I have to say I have been thrown into creative turmoil thanks to Baron Toveyre and the suggestion of reading about "their next Christmas" ( Curse you Baron T! :D ) If I can weave more into my idea I will do my best to accomodate the notion. **

**Thanks again to everyone for reading!**

**ML**


	3. Chapter 3

Outside the night felt even colder and darker than before. The pavements were glistening with ice crystals and above the city the stars flickered in the freezing air and seemed to burn in the sky. As they left the pub Robbie offered his arm to Laura again as he had done earlier on and they resumed their way to the taxi rank.

As they walked, Laura felt Robbie pull her just a little closer than he had ever done in the many times they'd linked arms like this. Even though it was small and almost imperceptible, Laura thought for the second time that evening, something had changed.

With Laura beside him, feeling her close as they walked, Robbie was suddenly aware that he didn't feel as cold as he might have done. Talking to her in the pub and the significance of her gift had brought up a slew of old memories and emotions. These were made all the more poignant because it was so close to the anniversary of Val's death. But something felt different. Even her gift hadn't caused him as much anguish as it could have done. The depth of despair and pain he was used to at this time of year, he realised, wasn't as bad. Like a loud noise, a relentless wailing siren finally getting quieter, lessening in intensity, things seemed a bit different.

_It's because of Laura._ A voice chimed in his head. He usually tried to ignore it. It was a voice he heard a lot. It was easier to not listen to such feelings because it threw up too many emotions and complications in his head. It was something, however, that kept proclaiming itself, this voice, when he was with Laura_._

_You could have a future with her. . ._ It would say_. __Look how she cares for you, more than just a friend would. _The voice seemed to soar above his grief, each time telling him he was feeling the way he was because of Laura. It was even, possibly, starting to drown out the loud constant din that proclaimed his feelings of betrayal.

The Taxi rank wasn't far but Robbie felt like he wanted to lengthen the time it took to get there. He didn't know why, and yet he did. He didn't want Laura to get into the taxi and go home, he wanted to spend more time with her. Her gift and talking about Val to her had had some sort of odd effect on him. He heard the voice again in his head, about a future involving Laura. Had he not had wine and whiskey he might not have let the thought linger for as long as it did; and along with the warmth of her next to him he allowed the notion to gather a tiny field of gravity. The alcohol was at a crucial point in him that made him feel elated about the thought. In the event of having more to drink he might have felt differently, guilty at having such a thought. But for now, he allowed himself to just enjoy her proximity, perhaps in a way that was just a little bit more than what he perceived to be within the realms of just friendship.

As they reached the taxi rank the roads seemed even icier and Laura slipped on a patch of frosted cobbled pavement. Robbie caught her and stopped her from falling. They both laughed, she a little embarrassed, as she regained her footing, clutching onto his arms. He pulled her in closer.

"I've got you" he said through his laugh. She was laughing too but his words caught her _Yes, you have_ she thought.

Someone had just taken the one taxi that had been there, but neither of them complained. They drew to a stop at the end of the rank to wait for another cab. Laura hoped it would take its time. She shivered in the freezing night air.

"Are you cold? It's bloody freezing isn't it." Said Robbie and he pulled her a little closer to him, in a way he hoped would be perceived as companionable squeeze. Laura took the opportunity to pull herself closer to his side, hoping the same thing. His embrace was warm and comforting and strong.

"Are you doing any nice for Christmas? Seeing family?" Robbie asked her. He knew her family were all over the world and she didn't mention them that often but he got the impression from what she'd said over the years that they were all close.

"I have a few plans, staying with friends mainly". She didn't want to mention Malcolm. She didn't even want to think about it.

"What about you? Are you still going to Manchester?"

"Yeah, for Christmas Day, I'll have to come back Boxing Day though." He sighed "I'd like to spend more time but they're off to the other grandparents, So. Well, to be expected really. I'm back at work anyway, on the 27th."

Laura saw a sadness settle over him, She rubbed his arm

"I'm sure you'll have a lovely time while you're there, Robbie, give them my love won't you?"

"Of course I will" he said softly. He felt bad. Sometimes he didn't pass her love and good wishes on because he didn't want to bring Laura into the conversation with his daughter. Lyn had, for a long time, encouraged him to spend more time with Laura, as friends. Sometimes, when enquiring whether Laura was still single Lyn had suggested that he ask her out. That should have encouraged him, but still he held back.

"Thanks for the hankies" he smiled at her warmly "Secret Santa" and he winked at her.

"You're welcome" she said, looking back at him and returning the smile, aware that the time they had remaining was running out.

"Well, barring any suspicious deaths I'll probably not see you now, so, Merry Christmas, Robbie."

She unhooked her arm from his and moved in to hug him and he automatically opened his arms. It was an unusual manoeuver for them that seemed almost obligatory for the moment. Usually they would not go beyond the linking of arms or very possibly a quick peck on the cheek if the situation warranted it but tonight it seemed the most natural thing to do.

Laura's arms went round Robbie's back and she buried her face into his woollen scarf. It prickled her skin bit she felt the warmth of his body against hers, even through their coats and layers of clothes. _I want to stay like this_ she thought _I don__'__t want to leave this moment, please, Robbie, do or say something that means I don__'__t have to go home to a cold lonely house and a miserable Christmas_. Her arms, wrapped around him, suddenly pulled him in tightly to her and Robbie felt a conviction in her hug that caught him off guard. It was something more than a friendly hug. It felt warm, all encompassing, full of care. He felt a flush in his stomach that radiated upwards, towards his heart. It was a familiar feeling, an old familiar feeling. It was a feeling he recognised from long ago, when all was right in his world. He knew instantly what it was, but he dared not admit it fully to himself.

Returning the embrace with his own, his face brushed Laura's hair and he could smell the gentle scent of the cologne she used to get rid of the smell of the lab. He felt the softness of her hair against his skin. He breathed in and a delightful warm scent of fading cologne mixed with the scent of her skin filled his nose and his senses. And his heart. The familiar feeling rose again. Laura pulled away and looked up to him, meeting his gaze in the streetlight. _I want to kiss you_ the thought flashed through his head like a meteor and for a brief second he thought he might do. He looked down at Laura, her eyes seemed to plead with him in the darkness, as if heeding his thought. He suddenly didn't want to let go of her. He was aware of the feel of her in his arms, the very substance of her. She felt warm and real in his embrace. He couldn't remember, since his wife had died, a time when he'd held someone this close and had these feelings.

_Since Val_. There again was the voice in his head

In turn Laura allowed herself to register how good it felt to have her arms around him and to feel his around her; she could feel the box of hankies over his heart, in his left breast pocket.

Robbie looked down at Laura. In the cold air her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone back at him in the chilly glow of the streetlights. The Christmas lights strung up over the street reflected in her eyes and in the cold air the possibility of kissing her flashed again in Robbie's mind. He searched her eyes and looked down to her lips. . .

But then the moment was lost.

A rowdy gaggle of drunken revellers burst through a pub door and onto the street not far from where they stood. The meteor burned out in Robbie's head and all was dark again as the moment of possibility shattered like a falling icicle and Robbie felt the inevitable tug of the weight of Christmases past.

Laura felt it too with all its heavy familiarity and she pulled away, suddenly realising how tight she had been holding him and suddenly very self-conscious of the fact. The last thing she wanted to do was to crowd him. But she had felt him hold her back with an equal pressure. Felt his face against hers and his with a final squeeze of his arm, one which Robbie could feel was full of that unyielding compassion she had for him and his predicament, they let go of each other. A taxi rumbled round the corner and pulled up beside them.

"Merry Christmas, Laura" He said and he opened the taxi door for her and a few minutes later she was gone and Robbie was left on the cold street, above him the winter sky peppered with stars despite the luminous fringe of the city's street lights. He looked up and his breath clouded in front of him and faded into the darkness. In the sky something caught his eye, a flash of something bright. As soon as it had gone he knew what it was, a shooting star, a meteorite burning up above his head and gone before it had even started. He smiled at the realisation of what it was. Then his smile faded and his face returned to its usual set of quiet weariness at his predicament. A taxicab pulled up to the end of the stand, its exhaust fumes thick and heavy in the cold air. Robbie watched them disappear into nothing and took one more look into the night sky before getting in and heading back to his flat.


	4. Chapter 4

Back in his flat Robbie took his coat and scarf off. He could feel the chill of the air still on his coat but also he could smell the faint fragrance Laura's cologne on his scarf. Without thinking he lifted it to his nose and took a deeper sniff. Over on his bookshelf he glanced at the picture of Val he kept there. With a frown he put the scarf back down over his coat which was on the chair. He bent forward to the pocket of his coat and took out the box of hankies. Sighing he put them on the countertop. Then he put the kettle on before going to have a wash before bed.

Not long later he made himself a cup of tea and sat for a while and read the paper at the kitchen counter. It was late but he needed to wind down. After thumbing through the news and glancing at the headlines he put the paper down with a sigh. He looked at the box of handkerchiefs. He took one out. It was soft between his fingers. He ran his thumb over the silk monogram and brought the handkerchief to his cheek and felt its silken texture against his skin. He thought of Laura. How could she have known about the hankies? She'd been just as surprised as he had at the coincidence. His brow furrowed. He thought he might have felt worse at the situation, to be reminded so blatantly of a small but important part of Christmas past but oddly, he felt comforted. It was true what he had said to her, there wasn't a better gift he could have received from her. He felt the warm flush in his stomach again, and he knew now he couldn't ignore it. He wasn't exactly sure what would happen next but he was certain now that he couldn't deny his feelings anymore. He knew also that it would take a lot for him to act on the feelings.

Laura paid the taxi and then let herself into the house. It was cold and dark. She locked the door behind her and kicked her shoes off, shivering as she did so. In the winter, when she wasn't at home, she always kept the heating on low, just enough to take the edge off but not enough to make the house warm and certainly not cosy.

She sighed and, keeping her coat on, went into the kitchen and filled the kettle from the sink before clicking on the switch. She made a cup of chamomile tea and took it into the living room and sunk down into the sofa. It was a new sofa she'd bought in the summer. It was expensive and extremely comfortable but sitting there on her own, Laura wondered what the point was in anything nice or luxurious or comfy if you had no one to share it with. Did she have someone? She was supposedly seeing Malcolm but if she was being honest with herself, if she was given the choice, she wouldn't have wanted him there with her. She knew who she did want. More than anything the person she wanted next to her right now was Robbie. But that wasn't a possibility. It may never come to pass she thought. She stared into the gloom for a while, biting the pad of her thumb, an old habit that she always did when she was deep in emotional thought.

She took out her phone and tapped out a text_. _

_Is the offer for Christmas still open?_

She sighed and sent the text to Ellen. She would have to call Malcolm the next day and tell him in no uncertain terms that she didn't want to continue the relationship. He was nice enough and it would be a difficult conversation especially because of the plans they'd made for the holidays.

Laura knew, however, that she shouldn't let things go any further. Despite Malcolm's gallantry and pleasant personality, she had been aware of an arrogance in his demeanour. It wasn't a good sign that she had noticed this trait so readily. She shivered again and her thoughts turned again to Robbie. There wasn't a single arrogant bone in his body. Stubborn, certainly, and full of conviction for what he believed in, but always self-deprecating, often humble and _always _willing to admit when he was wrong about something, and to apologise unreservedly if he had acted out of turn. It was what she loved about him. _Loved_. She checked herself and sighed again. Her thoughts turned to the coming Christmas break. She knew the decision had already been made. She would be lonely but it wasn't worth prolonging the inevitable. It would be cruel to carry out plans with Malcolm and then, to put it bluntly she thought to herself, ditch him in the new year. Her phone buzzed and she looked at the reply

_Sorry Darling, Sal and Ben are coming now - thought you'd made other plans?_

With a groan Laura sunk her head into her hands. Maybe she should just take herself off somewhere, to a city she'd not been to before and get lost in the anonymity of lone travel. It was an option that increasingly felt the most appealing.

She looked into the cold empty stove.

_Bloody thing_ she thought.

She'd tried lighting it numerous times since she'd moved into the house without success so she'd simply given up. It wasn't like her to give up. She had tried her best. Just like she'd had to give up on her recent relationships. What was wrong with her? Was she too picky? She knew she was, yet at the same time what she wanted and needed was simple. Was it really too much to ask for? For someone to love? To be loved? And for that person to be genuinely kind and loving, by default. To accept her flaws and appreciate her virtues like she was willing to do? She sighed deeply in the gloom. The darkness and cold seemed to wrap around her and plunge her deeper into her mood. She felt the dark cold chill of the time of year seep into her bones and chill her thoroughly.

Her thoughts turned back to Robbie. Still isolated and cold with his grief. As purely a friend she did what was possible. But she had so much she could give to him as more than a friend. But he still wasn't ready. The pain was still too much for him. She knew it was irrational but she felt she had failed as a friend. She felt torn between wanting things for her own life, love and happiness, and wanting him to have that too, with her. A shared life. She knew she was in love with him and she berated herself for the fact. How had it happened? God knows she had tried hard not to fall for him. The darkness continued to cloak her and in the gloom she stared at the empty cold stove and sighed deeply from her heart. She shivered.

_Laura_.

A voice called out to her in the cold darkness.

_Laura?_

She felt a warm hand on the nape of her neck. Suddenly the darkness blossomed into light and the chill was vanquished, she blinked and all was luminous and warm. In the stove a fire burned merrily and bright and in the corner of the room the tiny white lights on the Christmas tree seemed to shimmer like fireflies. Her feet were warm and sunk into the thick pile rug at her feet. She was in her front room, sitting on the sofa. But she wasn't cold anymore. She was warm and there was a glow about the place that superseded the lights, that seemed to warm and illuminate her very being.

She blinked again and looked up. Robbie was stood in front of her, smiling and with glass of wine in his hand.

"You alright love? Thought you'd like a top up" He put the wine down on the table next to the sofa. Laura blinked again, and pulled herself further out of her vision of the cold depths of the previous year.

Robbie watched her with a curious amusement "You ok? Looks like you drifted off there for a few minutes?"

"I did a bit" she said with a dreamy smile, looking up at him. "I was thinking of this time last year"

He sat down next to her, put his arm round her and pulled her in for a hug

"A lot's happened in a year eh?" He said softly with a smile and eyebrows raised

"Yes, it has." She smiled back at him, checking herself slightly at the stark contrast between her thoughts and the reality of what was before her right there and then. "I was actually thinking of the departmental Christmas dinner last year"

"Oh aye? Hey, I wonder if Hathaway took his superman knickers with him on his travels?" They both laughed at the thought and looked into the fire. A log shifted in the grate and a bunch of sparks blossomed brightly in the warm roll of the flames. For a while they were both caught by the mesmerising dance of the flames and their own thoughts.

"I remember that night, I wanted to kiss you" Robbie said.

"When!?" She turned in his arms to look at him, surprise in her voice and on her face.

"When we walked to the taxis and it was freezing cold. You looked so lovely and when you hugged me I just felt, well, warmed by you"

"God, I wish you had, you'd have saved me from a bloody miserable Christmas."

"Ah well, I got there in the end. You look just as lovely now, y'know?"

"Robbie, stop, I know you're only trying to make me blush"

"I wouldn't do that." He said and gave her a cheeky wink "Anyway it's true. You looked gorgeous even in the street light"

"_Even_ in the street light!?"

She looked at him, her eyes sparkling and a laugh behind her smile.

"Come here, you little cracker" he said with a chuckle and he pulled her close and kissed her temple and gave her one of his I'm-the-luckiest-bloke-in-the-world looks before getting up off the sofa to check the stove.

Laura watched as Robbie opened up the wood burning stove door and put a log on the fire. It was good to see him so happy. He'd not long returned from a trip up to Manchester to visit his daughter and grandson. He was wearing a Christmas jumper that his grandson had picked out for him. He'd come home from Manchester wearing it. Despite poking fun at him, Laura had felt her heart melt when he'd kept it on after he got back. He'd called Lyn on his safe return and spoken to Jack and promised him he'd wear the jumper all Christmas. Laura thought of all the pompous and arrogant men she'd had encounters and relationships with and her thoughts turned briefly to the previous Christmas and whoever it had been she had ended up spending it with. She was glad it took a few seconds to recall his name and that there hadn't been a Christmas jumper in sight all through that particular festive season. Robbie's jumper had on it a big polar bear wearing a Father Christmas hat. Laura actually quite liked it.

"Are you going to wear that all Christmas?" She asked him, her eyebrows raised with cheeky derision.

"Yes, until I spill me Christmas dinner down it" he said and sat back down next to her on the sofa, his arm going round her shoulders again.

"Have you got a problem with that, Doctor Hobson?"

She laughed, her eyes sparkling with merriment at his words

"No" She said

He chuckled back at her

"Cheers" he said and they clinked glasses and watched the fire again for a few minutes while the log caught in the flames.

"I'm glad you had a nice time in Manchester, Robbie"

"Aye it was great. Jack's getting to that age where he's beside himself with excitement about getting presents and giving them."

"I bet he loved you visiting"

"Yeah I think so. I enjoyed it. It was good to give his mam a rest for a couple of hours. Not that she had much of a break, packing for their holiday."

Lyn, her partner and Jack were spending some of Christmas in Scotland with the other grandparents. Robbie didn't seem to mind this and Laura was glad. There had been talk of them coming to Oxford for Christmas but the festive holiday had been planned for a while and instead they made plans to visit in the new year. Robbie was happy with this arrangement. He'd had one of the best visits there in a long time. It had been the anniversary of Val's death while he'd been there and although at times it had been sad, Robbie and his daughter felt a certain peace that only came with time's passing. The focus had been on Jack and Lyn had also reassured Robbie about how happy she was for him and Laura. _You deserve happiness Dad_ she had said and Robbie had felt, like a wintry snow shower on a cold sunny day, a strange mix of emotions, of which happiness had prevailed.

He looked at Laura, nestled in his arms and with a soft smile on her lips.

"You know one of the best things about visiting Lyn and Jack?" He said

"What?"

"Knowing I was coming home to you"

She looked at him, feeling a bit humbled by his words. He would often just say what was on his mind and sometimes the sentiment and his words seemed so pure and simple that she felt her breath taken away. This was one of those times and her hand went to its favourite place on his chest, over his heart and she simply smiled at him with that look in her eyes that he knew so well.

He tilted his head towards her as he continued to talk

"Y'know, I was thinking about cuddling with you on the sofa all the way from Birmingham" he said in a quiet low voice

"Only from Birmingham?" She said with her eyebrows raised in mock indignation.

He laughed. "Yeah, well the traffic was bad on the M6, I had to concentrate"

Laura laughed softly. "Actually I was thinking of it too. I missed you Robbie. It was a good feeling, knowing you were coming home."

They finished their drinks in a cosy knowing silence that also held a few unspoken words between them. Their relationship, although years in the making was solid even after a few months of living together, but there were still emotions between them that they had difficulty articulating with words. For Laura she knew it was best to let it unfold in its own time, the words needed to be spoken by Robbie. She could wait and it didn't worry her. She knew the love was there, but he was still shadowed by life's events. She knew the light was growing though, and that those shadows, although they would never disappear would become insignificant and peripheral like the shadows cast by the midsummer sun.

Outside the afternoon was turning into the night. They finished their drinks and Laura went to draw the curtains against the coming night. Robbie got up and followed her as she drew the set of curtains by the Christmas tree. He wrapped his arms round her from behind and pulled her close, kissing her cheek as he did so. Outside he could see the sky was darkening and thick with clouds. It was cold and there had been talk of wintery showers in the forecast.

"Do you think we'll get any snow?" he said, still holding her as she pulled the curtains

"I doubt it, not these days. I don't remember a white Christmas in Oxford for a very long time. One when I was at college I think, in the 80's."

"Oh, yeah I remember that one, we took the kids sledging." Robbie smiled, recalling the Christmas when it had snowed. He looked down as he felt Laura placing her hands over his hands that were softly resting on her midriff. She caressed them gently. He was aware that not for the first time he didn't feel sad in his recollection of the past. In the place of sadness there was just a feeling of being aware of moments, a peaceful awareness of images of happy times in his mind. He nuzzled his face into Laura's hair and sniffed, catching the scent of her skin and her cologne. He closed his eyes and kissed her neck. She turned and pulled him in for a big hug and a kiss

"Everyone was asking after you, by the way, at the departmental meal." She said to him, when they pulled apart and returned to the comfort of the sofa and the warmth of the fire.

"Really?" Robbie played it down but he secretly liked that he'd been missed at the meal, especially now that he'd retired. "Was there a secret Santa this year?"

"No, Jean's secretary was off sick so it didn't get organised"

"Shame. I like Secret Santa" and he winked at her. "Actually, on the subject of gifts, here's just a small something, for you." He reached down by the side of the sofa and retrieved something he'd obviously hidden earlier.

"Robbie I thought we weren't going to go mad on gifts?"

"What makes you think I've got you anything else?" He said, his voice rising in amusement. Laura smiled, pursing her lips at him and frowning at his tease as he handed her the present.

It was a small sized gift, obviously easily hidden and Laura could see it had been expertly wrapped. She pulled the ribbon on the gift and carefully removed the pretty paper to reveal a shallow box.

She knew what was inside before she even took the lid off.

The handkerchiefs were a very pale dusky pink. On each corner, in a cherry red silk was monogrammed _LH _

"It felt right to get them for you" Robbie said, watching her smile turn into a grin as she took one of the folded hankies out of the box.

"From your Secret Santa. Maybe you'll stop pinching mine now eh?"

"I don't pinch them!"

"Oh aye, what's this then!?" And he lunged towards Laura's cords pocket and, after a brief tussle pulled out a hankie, one of the ones she'd given him the year before.

"See?" he said, taking the opportunity to tickle her as his hands were near her ribs. She laughed and squirmed in protest. It was true, she did often take one of his handkerchiefs when she went to work.

"Robbie stop please! You'll make me pee"

Robbie chuckled and carried on tickling her for a second more before relenting

"Anyway, I thought you should have your own, you need them as much as I ever did, y'know when you're with relatives. In fact, you probably need them more."

"They're just lovely, Robbie"

He watched as she took one of the handkerchiefs out of the box and carefully unfolded one. They were smaller than the ones she'd bought him and just as luxurious and she smoothed her thumb over the cherry red sill in the corner of the pink square.

"Did you get them from the place on Little Clarendon street?" She asked

"Yeah, they were a special order, they don't usually make them in this colour, but I thought you'd like it"

"Thank you, I do. They're so soft."

He looked at the handkerchief he'd retrieved from Laura's pocket, his thumb feeling its texture. He lifted it to Laura's face and rubbed it gently against her cheek

"This one's still soft even after plenty of wear"

"You talking about you or the handkerchief?"

He gave her a reproachful smile, it was one he found himself using on a regular basis.

"Shut that cheeky gob for half a minute and come here"

His hand went to her face and he leant in to kiss her, a soft kiss on the lips that lingered and then carried them away a little. Laura sank back into the sofa and pulled Robbie in as she did so. She was warm and comfy and she couldn't think of anywhere else she wanted to be or who with.

"Did you close those curtains properly?" Robbie asked between kisses

"Mmm, why?"

"Well it wasn't _just_ cuddling with you on the sofa I was thinking about as I drove home"

"Oh really?"

"Mmm"

"Well in that case. . ."

And she pulled him back to her and they kissed again.

In the fireplace the logs burned contentedly and outside, beyond the closed curtains, a few feathery snowflakes fell from the Oxford sky into the Christmas Eve night.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading, folks. I did have bigger ambitions for this story involving unexpected visitors and an exploration into Laura's disastrous christmas but alas my time ran out and I just don't have the hours in the day to write due to Christmas and work commitments. Maybe I will add to it sometime in the future. Timewise I did factor in a bonus M chapter however. What with the cosy setting, the warmth of the fire and our heroes all loved-up I thought it would be a bit rude not to. So if you fancy a bit of Sexy Robson fluff, if time permits I'll be posting a short story / epilogue called "The fire is so delightful"**


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